How can you incorporate smart boards in your K-12 lesson plans?

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Education technology teacher Matt Miller loves using interactive panels for station rotation or centers. "Students have a variety of tasks they do all around the room, and they rotate from station to station," said Miller in a Q&A with Samsung. Students can draw on the whiteboard or use the built-in web browser to access interactive maps or educational apps. "Whenever students get to lay hands on these devices, they can create. Anything that takes learning out of the hands of the teacher and puts it into the hands of the students is one of the best opportunities you get."

That's just one example of how teachers can utilize interactive whiteboards. This technology, which is becoming increasingly adopted in schools across the country, has also been proven to help students stay engaged with their schoolwork.

Student engagement is a significant concern in today's classrooms. According to a report from Gradient Learning, 80% of teachers express concern about their students' engagement in classroom-based learning.

Consequently, technology tools that help teachers capture and maintain students' attention can be invaluable. A study by ZipDo found that 92% of teachers believe technology positively affects student engagement, while 75% think technology has a favorable impact on the education process.

Smart boards, also known as interactive whiteboards or panels, enhance the learning experience while benefiting teachers. They allow teachers and students to collaborate, share files, access online resources, and utilize educational software.

Here are four top uses for smart boards in teaching and learning, along with their benefits for every student.

1. Boost student engagement

Today's K-12 students are digital natives who learn better with modern technology.

With smart boards like Samsung's WAD Interactive Display, teachers can create dynamic lessons by writing or typing on screen, highlighting topics, and sharing multimedia content such as videos, web pages, presentations, and images. Because the WAD Series is EDLA-certified, teachers can run Google tools like Classroom, Slides, and Docs, and access the Google Play Store directly from the interactive whiteboard. Additionally, the smart board can be divided into multiple sections so more than one student can work on it simultaneously. The WAD supports up to 40 touchpoints, allowing groups of students to write or draw at the same time.

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2. Accommodate different learning styles

An interactive whiteboard benefits visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners alike. Visual learners can view content on a 4K UHD screen, while auditory learners can listen to multimedia resources. Kinesthetic learners can write on the board with a stylus or their finger. Educators can use the smart board for small group teaching based on learning style or one-on-one interactions with individual students.

3. Save, share, and send lessons

When students are absent, K-12 teachers often create work packets for them to catch up. With a smart board, this process becomes easier since teachers can screenshot their lessons and quickly save and share them with students or colleagues. They can also record the entire lesson using the recording feature. The options are limitless: teachers can save their notes to resume later or create review materials for students to use at home, easily sharing these materials through apps like Google Classroom. This approach is especially beneficial for students who may struggle to keep pace, allowing them to refer back to content at their convenience.

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At the start of the day, powering on the smart board is simple—just turn it on and proceed. At the end of the day, teachers can switch it off without erasing anything or needing to take physical notes on what they covered.

4. Make the classroom work for everyone

In instances where remote learning is necessary, smart boards facilitate the inclusion of remote students via videoconference technology. There’s no requirement for special cameras. Students at home can see everything the teacher is doing and interact with their peers, promoting hybrid learning.

Considering the numerous ways interactive smart boards enhance the learning experience, school districts that invest in smart boards are making a worthwhile investment in their students' education.

Explore Samsung's full lineup of versatile interactive displays to find the right classroom display that meets your students' needs and fits your budget. Discover how simple, scalable, and secure display solutions can empower educators to take control of the curriculum in this free guide.

How does the interactive whiteboard work?

The interactive whiteboard acts as an input device for your computer, allowing you to work in any application connected to it. To use an interactive whiteboard, you need two additional components: a computer and a digital projector. These components work together as follows:

• Your computer runs an application and sends the image to the projector.

• The projector casts the image onto the interactive whiteboard.

• The interactive whiteboard detects contact with its screen and sends each contact point to the connected computer.

If your interactive whiteboard includes a pen tray with control and tool selection buttons, utilize the pen tray buttons to select different tools. For example, pressing the left-click button lets the interactive whiteboard interpret your finger's touch as a mouse click, enabling you to control the computer from the board. When you use a pen and press a color button, digital ink appears, allowing you to write over the desktop or any open application.

By installing SMART Learning Suite, you gain access to all the features of the interactive whiteboard. SMART Learning Suite includes SMART Notebook collaborative learning software, SMART Ink, and SMART Product Drivers.

With SMART Ink, a dynamic (floating) toolbar appears on your desktop. You can use this toolbar to change the pen's color, thickness, or other properties temporarily, or utilize SMART Ink's tools like screen capture, spotlight, and screen shade. For more information, please see Using SMART Ink.

You can download SMART software from smarttech.com/software. The website lists the minimum hardware requirements for each software version. If SMART software is already on your computer, consider upgrading it to ensure compatibility.

If you're interested in learning more about Digital Interactive Smart Board, contact us today to schedule an expert consultation!